The Papers of William J. Collins, 1902-1960
Scope and Contents of the Papers
This collection consists of items relating to Collins’ time at the Clark, as well as materials that precede his employment as curator. The bulk of the material is in reference to the acquisition, sales, and reproduction of prints and drawings. Personal materials are interleaved among the records, some of which were obtained after his death. Among them is correspondence describing his experience during World War I.
As the first Curator of Prints and Drawings, Collins had a notable impact on the Clark’s development during its early years. This is shown through correspondence and reports to and from the first Director of the Clark, Peter Guille. Documents related to an informal art education group, Bill Benedict’s Graphic Arts Discussion Group, demonstrate the early development of connections between the Clark and Williams College.
Dates
- 1902 - 1960
Restrictions on Access
This material is open for research.
Biographical / Historical
William J. Collins (1823-1960) was the first Curator of Prints and Drawings for the Clark Art Institute. Collins began working for Knoedler’s of London at the age of 18, and continued his work there for 45 years, eventually becoming the Head of the Department of Prints at Knoedler & Co. in New York City in 1939. During this time period he served as an infantryman during World War I from 1917-1919. While working at Knoedler & Co. he established a professional relationship with Robert Sterling Clark, and was hired at the Clark in 1958. In 1960, Collins passed away unexpectedly of a heart attack at 67 years old.
As the first Curator of Prints and Drawings, William Collins assessed and prepared the Clark’s print and drawing collections for museum use, which he determined to range from 3,000 to 4,000 pieces. He made acquisitions to expand the collection during his tenure, and was responsible for exhibitions on the history of printmaking, Toulouse-Lautrec, Winslow Homer and Edgar Degas. Collins taught an informal seminar for Williams College, titled Bill Benedict’s Graphic Arts Discussion Group (or BB-GADG), focusing on the graphic arts holdings of the Clark Institute. He was also on the Board of Directors of the Print Council of America. Collins' responsibilities were taken over by Director Peter Guille after his death. His position was filled by William Ittman in 1967.
Extent
14.5 Linear Feet (12 boxes, 2 oversize boxes) ; 2 - 5" x 10.5" x 12.5" boxes, 5 - 12.75" x 10.5" x 16.5" boxes, 2 - 10.25" x 3" x 15.5" boxes, 1 - 16.25" x 2.25" x 23" oversize box, 1 - 16.25" x 3.75" x 21" oversize box
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
This collection of personal and business papers, notebooks, and ephemera belonged to William J. Collins, the Clark Art Institute's first Curator of Prints and Drawings.
Arrangement of the Papers
The collection is comprised of three series; each formerly a separate collection in the Clark Institute Archives related to William J. Collins: • Series I contains business and personal records, arranged by record type • Series II contains Collins' records pertaining to the Curatorial Office of Prints and Drawings at the Clark • Series III consists of binders and photographic negatives from Collins' time at Knoedler & Co. It is divided into three subseries by record type.
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
Pages and loose papers in the ledger are fragile; loose papers are contained in folded acid-free paper.
Custodial History
The binder and the book were mistakenly included among items that were believed to belong to Robert Sterling Clark. The bound book was with the papers of RSC. The A to Z accordion file and the spring binder full of notebook pages had been stored along with the current papers of the Curator of Prints and Drawings. Items found in Collins's room after his death were assembled in a box that was then stored in the Print Vault.
The binder and the book were removed from a collection of items that eventually made up the Realia and the Personal series of the Sterling and Francine Clark Papers in early 2007 . The A to Z file and personal items were accessioned in October 2007, along with records pertaining to the Prints and Drawings Collection.
Processing Information
Lacy Schutz, Archivist, examined the binder and book and rehoused them in an acid-free box in June of 2007. The remaining materials were processed and rehoused in October, 2007.
Mario Cesareo revised the collection in August of 2022. A portion of the collection CAI ARC 2007.44 - Curatorial Office Records of the Prints and Drawings Department related to William J. Collins were added as Series II. CAI ARC 2007.48 - Knoedler Photographs and Negatives from William Collins was added in its entirety as Series III.
Loose pages from the "Catalogue binder" were removed and rehoused in a folder.
See Processing Information notes in each series for more information.
- Title
- A Guide to the Papers of William J. Collins, 1902-1960
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Finding aid prepared by Lacy Schutz. Revised in August, 2022 by Mario Cesareo.
- Date
- March 31, 2009
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English.
Repository Details
Part of the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute Archives Repository